For as long as I can remember, recipes have a caution to use the smallest amount of water that results in the dough sticking together when compressed. I do this and wrap and chill a disk of dough (or two). When I roll it out, the edges split to weird shapes like the profile of a mountain range. I have to do a lot of patching/mending to get a decent edge. I know if I buy prepared pie crusts, this doesn't happen.

What do I do? Add more water? change the amounts or ingredients?

Also, When making two crusts, do you separate the dough into two equal parts or allocate more than half to the top crust for something like an apple pie that can be fairly tall?

I made an apple pie for Thanksgiving and it was really good but I did have the issue rolling out the dough. I used a deep dish dark glass pie plate and baked it at the bottom of the oven so the bottom crust would cook.

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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan

I learned to make pie crust from "The Queen of Country Music", Miss Loretta Lynn!

2 cups AP flour
1 Cup Crisco
1 t salt
1/4 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt, cut in shortening with a pastry blender, add ice water and pull together into a ball, divide in half.

I use a little more fat than most recipes and I don't chill the dough so I get a softer dough to work with. This makes enough for a generous 2 crust pie. I divide the dough equally when making a two crust pie. I use deep dish Pyrex pie plates. I use a pastry cloth on the board and a stocking on the rolling pin. A couple of people noted recently that they sometimes have trouble making a crust and I have had that happen also. I have been known to throw out the first batch and start over.

When I took home-ec in junior high school, the teacher called my Mother and told her she had never seen such a student that was a natural pie baker like I was.

But for 30 years or so, I boycotted making pie crusts because of the fat content and not needing the calories and raising the cholesterol levels in my blood. I also used to insist on using whole wheat flour and the crusts were extremely fragile and patched together like a quilt.

I am a recent convert to store bought pie crusts; they are delicious. I have tried several brands and they are all good. I have one sitting in the frig right now. On Sunday I am having one of DH's eleven brothers and his family over for dinner and I am making a cherry pie.

I make tortillas twice a week and every time I make them I think of pie crusts. With almost identical ingredients, the tortillas come out perfectly round, with no patching, and are very sturdy. I always wonder why pie crusts can't hold together like these?

Anyway, I will probably never make a pie crust again.

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

For as long as I can remember, recipes have a caution to use the smallest amount of water that results in the dough sticking together when compressed. I do this and wrap and chill a disk of dough (or two). When I roll it out, the edges split to weird shapes like the profile of a mountain range. I have to do a lot of patching/mending to get a decent edge. I know if I buy prepared pie crusts, this doesn't happen.

What do I do? Add more water? change the amounts or ingredients?

Also, When making two crusts, do you separate the dough into two equal parts or allocate more than half to the top crust for something like an apple pie that can be fairly tall?

I made an apple pie for Thanksgiving and it was really good but I did have the issue rolling out the dough. I used a deep dish dark glass pie plate and baked it at the bottom of the oven so the bottom crust would cook.

My pie crust recipe for deep dish 9 inch pies:

Room temperature must be 75 degrees F or below to make a great crust without having to chill everything.

Combine the flour and salt. Cut in the lard (or shortening), adding about 1/8th cup at a time, until you have pea-gravel consistancy, with no loose flour hanging about. Splash the ice water all over the dough. Fold the water in and see if the dough forms a loose ball. If not, add a little more ice water. Remember, gluten isn't formed until water is added. You can work your dough all day before adding the water. But once the water is added, work the dough as little as possible.

There needs to be just enough water to get the dough to combine loosely into a ball. After that, liberally flour the work surface. Take 1/2 of the dough and make into a ball. Don't handle a lot or you will develop the gluten and make the crust tough. With your hands, press the dough-ball into a rough disk. Place onto the work surface and dust the top with more flour. Roll in every direction, always starting from the center and rolling outward. Make the dough large enough so that when you place your inverted pie-pan on top, it spreads at least 3 inches from the rim.

The uneven edge is what causes the dough to break when you are transfering it from the table to the pan. Use a paring knive to cut off the rough edges and make a smooth edge all the way around the pie pan, again, exceding the diameter of the pan by 6 inches (3 inches between the pan edge and the dough edge).

Now, slide a icing spatula between the pie and the work surface to insure it isn't stuck to the table. Fold the dough in half, and in half again to make a triangle. Lift the crust and place the point of the triangle in the pan center, then unfold the crust. Work it to the bottom edges. You now have an overhang of crust that is easy to work with. Carefully fold back part of the overhang and tuck it between the main crust sides and the pan. If you have a single crust pie, pinch and shape the crust edge into a fluted pie crust edge. If making a double crust pie, roll the 2nd dough-ball out as you did the first. Make it the same size, again cutting the edge to make it smooth. Slide the spatula under the crust, fold it, place it on top of the filled pie crust. Tuck the overlapping dough between the lower crust and the pie pan. Flute the edge, make vent holes, brush with egg wash, and bake until golden brown.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

__________________“No amount of success outside the home can compensate for failure within the home…"

...The uneven edge is what causes the dough to break when you are transfering it from the table to the pan. Use a paring knive to cut off the rough edges and make a smooth edge all the way around the pie pan, again, exceding the diameter of the pan by 6 inches (3 inches between the pan edge and the dough edge)...

If I add a little more water, will the edges stay together better? How come store bought crusts don't have this problem??

I find it hard to imagine you can roll that much dough out to a big enough circle to trim off the uneven edges and still have enough to make a 15" circle.

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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan

Combine flour and salt; add egg white, oil and water. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; place between two sheets of wax paper. Roll out to a 12" circle. Place in a 9" pie plate; flute edges. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Yield: 1 pastry shell.

With no excuse except laziness, I have bought pie shells from the grocery store my last two pies. They tend to be a bit sweet, I think, but that could just be the brand I bought.

Combine flour and salt; add egg white, oil and water. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; place between two sheets of wax paper. Roll out to a 12" circle. Place in a 9" pie plate; flute edges. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Yield: 1 pastry shell.

With no excuse except laziness, I have bought pie shells from the grocery store my last two pies. They tend to be a bit sweet, I think, but that could just be the brand I bought.

Murlene's pie crust sounds like an old time recipe. The vinegar or lemon juice makes a nice tender crust and the egg makes the dough more pliable, easier to handle. I sure do miss pie!

I hate the Prepared Pie Crust that the Dough Boy makes. It has no taste at all. Not even salt. And I am now at the age to stand up and fuss with the rolling and mixing it up is more than I can do. But my supermarket has one made by a small company right here in Boston. I don't know whose recipe they use, but it has a lot of flavor. And it is really easy to work with. So I will stick with that. And as an added benefit, it costs a lot less.

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Illegitimi non carborundum!
I don't want my last words to be, "I wish I had spent more time doing housework"

Crumble the shortening, salt, flour together with a pastry cutter (or 2 knives or a fork) until the mixture resembles sand. Or do it with your fingers--I don't get why pie crust is so hard to make. Add 1 T ice water, the vinegar, the vodka, determine if you need to add more liquid. It has to have a certain "feel" and I guess, since my grandma taught me to make this when I was so young, just like she taught me how to "feel" bread dough and lefse, I can't explain how it is when it is right. It just feels right.

My grandma never chilled the pie dough. We would roll it out once on a floured board with a rolling pin covered with a floured sock, and then fold it all back up, and roll it again on a floured board. It always worked, was always tender and flakey. We would take the extra pie crust and make crisps--roll it out, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, bake it on a cookie sheet, prick it with a fork, bake for about 12 minutes, and eat that.

Pie CrustsAndy M.[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]I really don't like making pie crusts. Probably because it's a struggle to get them to come out right. But the are really better than the pre-made stuff so it's worth the effort.
I use an Alton Brown recipe. Here are the ingredients for one crust.
[B]One Crust:[/B]
3 Oz Butter, chilled
1 Oz Shortening, chilled
6 Oz AP Flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp Table Salt
¼ C Ice Water
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]
The preparation is fairly standard in a food processor.[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]
For as long as I can remember, recipes have a caution to use the smallest amount of water that results in the dough sticking together when compressed. I do this and wrap and chill a disk of dough (or two). When I roll it out, the edges split to weird shapes like the profile of a mountain range. I have to do a lot of patching/mending to get a decent edge. I know if I buy prepared pie crusts, this doesn't happen.
What do I do? Add more water? change the amounts or ingredients?
Also, When making two crusts, do you separate the dough into two equal parts or allocate more than half to the top crust for something like an apple pie that can be fairly tall?
I made an apple pie for Thanksgiving and it was really good but I did have the issue rolling out the dough. I used a deep dish dark glass pie plate and baked it at the bottom of the oven so the bottom crust would cook.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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